Forks Supervisors Reduce Meeting Schedule

You're now going to get half the government you elected.

The has decided to reduce its monthly meeting schedules by half of its previous workload.

Last Thursday, the board voted to hold one work session meeting and one regular meeting each month as opposed to the two regular meetings and two work sessions scheduled previously.

Township Manager brought the idea to supervisors, saying that many governments go with an approach where there's a work session followed by a regular meeting a few weeks later.

Forks supervisors have been holding a work session at 6:30 p.m., followed by a regular meeting at 7:30 p.m. two Thursdays a month.

"Typically, a lot of municipalities have such meetings," Cornell stated. "With the workshop now, you're being rushed. We only have an hour. This will allow for open discussion and brainstorming where you don't have to make decisions and can hear ideas and then digest them before the regular final meeting."

Starting in September, the supervisors will hold a work session on the first Thursday of the month. A new time of 7 p.m. has been scheduled for those meetings.

The regular meeting will take place at 7 p.m. on the third Thursday of each month.

Neighboring does not hold supervisor work session meetings.

The board agreed to try the new format on a three-month trial basis.

"It's a good concept," Supervisor John O'Neil said. "I'd like to try it from now until the end of the year."

"We can try it," Supervisors Chairman Erik Chuss said. "If we don't feel it's working, we can go back to the old way."

The board also decided that an agenda would be created for work session meetings.

"We need some structure and preparation," Supervisor Robert Egolf said. "We need to know what the staff wants to discuss. We need as much background as can be provided several days before so we don't hamper open discussion."

Supervisor Dan Martyak said the work session should have a cap of no more than three hours.

Egolf said that time also must be allotted for public input.

Chuss said the board can switch the work session to a special meeting if there's an item that needs an immediate decision and vote.

Regarding the meeting changes, Cornell said, "I'm always thinking of new ways, situations we can improve upon."